Sushi

We used to be able to do this often. One of our favorite treats is a good old sushi feed. But with the triplets....this has somehow turned into a very rare event. So when some good friends offered to watch the triplets for a few hours...

Black Friday

We didn't go shopping...but these two little guys still got me out of bed early for....a little playtime



And breakfast...the Miles way!

Vacation...

So...the little boys have decided to go on vacation this weekend.

Chase decided the Wandlers needed a little less sleep, so off he trundled this morning.
Anton and Bensen chose Ravensdale as their destination of choice. The Russell clan are back to having 3 boys under their roof for a little while.
And Mark just wanted a sleep-over here at his house. Apparently the only chaperones up to snuff are Eric and Danielle.

We've been kicked out.

So this is it. Man they grow up fast.

There's only one thing to do. Hit the road... :-)


Pics from our night away...


Cave B Inn

View of the Columbia

Room View

Say a little prayer...

I will be tending the ranch this weekend...all alone with the three little roosters. Mama Bear and Big Rooster are off to Vancouver to visit a little man who made his own entrance into the world on Tuesday.

I can do this. After all...its only for a day and a half. Right?

Turn around for one second and...

Family Pictures

We recently had some pictures taken by WA photographer Derek Pearson...here's a few.






more at: http://derekpearson.com/familymiles/

Pics...

Triple Trouble

Down time at the lake

Chase trying out his wheels

Then off to the Pumpkin Patch for our Jack-O-Lanterns




Yeah. This does get old after a while!! :-) (and thats only 1/2 of them!)

A visit from Grandpa and Grandma...

And these pictures remind me that this weekend is Thanksgiving for our Canadian family and friends...time to get together and appreciate all that we have and share. Enjoy the Turkey...

Misc

Bensen eyeing up Mark's toys

Playtime (notice Mark in the backyard...)

Ya. There will be payback for this hat. (we have family in Nebraska...who felt obligated to remind us that the Huskers rolled over the Huskies the other week)

Just So You Know...

Hockey. Finally.

Oh Canada!

...and all I did was tell them that they couldn't watch the hockey game...

Pics

Here's a few pics from recent days...

My Boys (C, B, M, A)

Our *New* Triple Stroller

This is what happens when 2 couples get married...(happy 10 yr anniv. Calvin and Dana (belated))

More friends from BC have come to visit...

And cousins too (on the Snoqualmie Train)

Ramblings

I've just finished feeding the trio...and it'll be a while till Mark gets up begging for his oatmeal - perfect time for a blog update. I know you all want pictures...but sorry I have none for you today! Which brings something to mind - Yes I Know that my blog family picture is really out of date...(I have been reminded of this several times lately) but do you have any idea how hard it is to get a GOOD picture of 3 little babies + a 3-yr old + a tired mom and dad...all at the same time?? Pretty much impossible if you ask me. We have tried. We'll keep trying and someday I'll suprise you with a new picture on top of the blog.

Super-mom went down (but not out) this week. It was inevitable...and she hung on for quite a while - but hey it was gonna happen at some time. She's been running on fumes for a while and I guess the gas just ran out. Started with a sore throat and headache...and progressed into a full blown cold/flu or something to that effect. Seriously - she's hurtin'.

Now this is not normally news-worthy (illness in the house) but in our case it does present some concern. Not that a cold would necessarily be the worst thing for the babies...some people have even had the audacity to suggest it might be "good for their immune systems" (scream) - but for those of you who have ever spent a sleepless night caring for a single, sick, fussy child...just think about our aversion to having 3 of them that way all at once. No - I'll try to pass on that one. First of all - although my wife does an amazing job of making this triplet thing look easy - don't be fooled. I'll say this once and then I'll try to never say it again - this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. So, thank you very much, I would prefer it not get any tougher than it needs to be.

And so just because Super-mom is down - that doesn't mean that she gets to take any time off. We break out the germ spray, strap on the facial masks (didn't last long) and carry on. And keep our fingers crossed that somehow these little dudes stay healthy for the time being.

Chase is back to being our all-star dream child. He eats well, sleeps well and pretty much is the perfect baby (for the time being). AJ and Bensen on the other hand are quite the handful. They never really get into a deep sleep - and although sometimes they don't actually feed for 5-6 hours at night - I guarantee we get up to comfort them every hour at least. They refuse most of their bottles, goof off at feeding time (AJ tries to make faces and grins at you when you're trying to feed him) and generally are just a lot more work. The evenings are the worst. Sometimes when I come home from work I can hear the wailing from the door and it doesn't stop till they're in bed. One after the other. Sometimes they take turns. Sometimes they sing like choir-boys. Sometimes even Mark gets sick of it and stands up on a stool and shouts "ENOUGH EVERYBODY. JUST STOP CRYING!" Not bad for a 3-yr old, huh? Yeah - in spite of it all it is really funny and we can't help but laugh.

Anyway - thats the little state of affairs. We're doing great. Super-mom will be fine in a few days. (She kicks butt you know). And when the going gets tough all I need to do is think about how lucky we are and its all fine again. Caio

Mid September...

Seems like the days just fly by, and our little guys are getting bigger and stronger.

Hangin' Out

Even Mark gets put to work sometimes!

The Feeding Line

Chillin' with mama

Work-out time


The dudes are starting to sleep longer at night, so that has helped us a lot. Mark is pumped about his soccer practice - we've kept him out of pre-school this fall so thats his social life! Life seems pretty normal right now - especially after the drama of the spring!

First Soccer Practice

This week Mark had his first soccer practice. It took him a little while to get the courage to join all the kids on the field, but when he did he had a blast. We've got a little work to do before we're ready for the World Cup though...

The sad, triple stroller

So today I had an interesting experience. We have decided that we do in fact require a 3-kid stroller for going to the park etc...and so I've been starting to look around hoping to find one that will work. Of course the logical place to start looking is ebay...and after that there's Craigslist. Trust me...a good used triple stroller is not easy to find.

This morning though - I thought I had struck gold when a fairly decent one came up on CL...even better that it was within driving distance...Spanaway, WA - just S of Tacoma. Called the lady who informed me she had had triplets 3 years ago and didn't need the stroller anymore so she was trying to get rid of it.

As I get into Spanaway...I finally find this place - in a neighborhood that I wouldn't want to be in after dark...if you know what I mean...all sorts of "interesting" people hanging out - and of course you can imagine me pulling up in my dress shirt and pants - Mr Yuppie guy in a Volvo - not exactly fitting into my surroundings. But hey - I drove an hour to get here...no stopping me now.

Two guys meet me in front of the house...and I'm feeling a little out of my league - especially since I'm not packing heat - they both belong on Harley's with Ape Bars and I'm sure they were. I'm starting to get a little worried about the wad of cash in my pocket but soon the gate swings open and there we are...a very used and dilapidated triple stroller along with aforementioned "mother".

Now the scene is a little humorous, but it all stops there. No question I'm in the middle of a classic drug-house with people who have some serious alcohol/drug problems. Turns out the lady did in fact have triplets - identical girls and a fraternal boy. She says she lasted 2 years. What I mean by that is that she informed me that after 2 years she couldn't cope anymore and gave them up for adoption. I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach. Time to hit the road and I did.

But it got me thinking. First of all about those three little kids who didn't have a stable home. And where are they now. Precious little 3 year olds - the same age as Mark. Then about this whole triplet thing. Like - are we crazy? Is this really going to slowly kill us? I know that having multiples like we have is a life-changing event, and it takes a toll on many aspects of peoples lives. Hard on careers. Hard on marriages. Hard on finances. You name it, it probably will get tested. But seriously...some people don't survive. That lady didn't. Sobering.

Anyway, I love my little boys. And I was glad to come home and hold each of the 4. Glad to have a wife that I know loves them as much as I do. Glad to have a good home and a stocked fridge. Thankful for my parents who gave me all of that and more. And especially glad that I grew up in a faith that taught me right from wrong. That some things we should live without. Especially things that are addictive, destructive and filthy.